Hispanics, non-white workers highly affected by U.S. COVID-19 outbreaks, says CDC

Outbreaks of the new coronavirus in U.S. workplaces have disproportionately hit Hispanic and non-white communities, according to an analysis of data from Utah by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the report, workers from those communities accounted for 73% of workplace-associated COVID-19 cases between March 6 and June 5, even though only 24% of Utah’s workforce in all affected sectors identified as Hispanic, Latino or a race other than non-Hispanic whites.

Workplace-associated outbreaks of the new coronavirus accounted for 76% of all outbreaks in Utah, and nearly half of those occurred in the manufacturing, construction and wholesale trade sectors.

This disparity in the number of cases could be the result of an over-representation of non-white and Hispanic workers in occupations that are considered “front-line,” for whom the risk of COVID-19 infections is higher, the researchers said.

In addition, those workers have less-flexible work hours and fewer remote work options compared with workers who are white, the researchers added.